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Mr. Director-General, Mr. President of the General Conference, Mr. Chairman of the Executive Board, excellencies, friends: First, I want to share a message from our first lady, Mrs. Bush. She writes:

Dear Friends,

I have asked Secretary Margaret Spellings to convey my warm greetings to everyone attending the 33rd session of the UNESCO General Conference. I am honored to serve as the Honorary Ambassador for the UN Decade of Literacy, and I thank UNESCO for its dedication to this important cause.

As a former elementary school teacher and librarian, I know—as you do—that the foundation of a child's education is the ability to read and write. And the foundation of a nation's sustainable development is the literacy of all its citizens.

UNESCO's other initiatives, including scientific inquiry and preservation of the world's heritage, are vital for a world of peace, tolerance and respect. I'm proud that the flag of the United States is now flying with the flags of all the UNESCO nations. These flags are a vivid reminder that our work together promises a brighter, more hopeful future for every citizen of every nation.

President Bush joins me in sending best wishes to each of you.

Sincerely,
Laura Bush

Let me begin by thanking all of you for your outpouring of support in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. As President Bush recently said, "The world is more compassionate and hopeful when we act together."

That same spirit inspired 37 nations to come together to form UNESCO in the wake of World War II. The war showed the need for an international institution to advance the values of tolerance, respect, and education. A more hopeful, democratic future then, as today, depended on education for all.

My country was one of the first to ratify UNESCO's constitution. And I'm honored to be here for UNESCO's 60th anniversary. In a changing world, UNESCO's commitment to education and freedom is more important than ever.

The United States rejoined your ranks two years ago for the first time since 1984 to address problems like illiteracy, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. We wanted to work with you toward common goals in education, science, and cultural preservation. And we made a commitment to stand with you in support of one of UNESCO's most cherished values—the "free flow of ideas by word and image."

Regrettably, this fundamental principle is threatened by the current language in the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expression. To avoid undermining UNESCO's credibility and influence, we urge you to work with us to make whatever changes are necessary to ensure we can all sincerely support this convention.

As a nation of people with roots all over the world, America has a special appreciation for the importance of cultural diversity. But this convention threatens the free exchange of ideas and knowledge and could be misused to undermine decades of trade liberalization. We are working with many of you to eliminate trade barriers to help lift hundreds of millions of people out of poverty over the next 15 years. The stakes are high, and we must not do anything in this forum that could jeopardize those efforts.

We must take the time and care to jointly produce and support a convention that meets the high standards expected of this organization. UNESCO is at its best when we—the member states—stand together and work toward true consensus.

Together, we have helped countries move toward a more hopeful and sustainable future of freedom and prosperity. As we all know, the road to democracy starts with a commitment to education. In Iraq, UNESCO has led the effort to replace hateful propaganda in schools with math and science textbooks. And in Afghanistan, UNESCO has helped strengthen teacher training and literacy programs for women.

Last spring, Mrs. Bush and I visited the new Women's Teacher Training Institute in Kabul. The women at this school want to help spread literacy and opportunity to every corner of Afghanistan. They are anxious to learn and to have a voice in their nation's future.

Although we come from many different places, we all understand the importance of education. And we all agree that we must work together to achieve the goals of UNESCO's Education for All effort. We know that literacy and education are the keys to success for individuals and for nations. And we face the challenge of ensuring everyone has access to them.

In my country, we face an ongoing struggle to provide every child with a quality education. Nearly four years ago, we looked ourselves in the mirror and saw we had to do more. We passed the No Child Left Behind Act and made a commitment to hold ourselves accountable for helping every child achieve high standards in school—regardless of race, income, or special need. We still have work to do, but we can already see we're on the right path with more students learning.

We must continue to bring this same results-based approach to our shared fight against illiteracy. Nearly 800 million adults worldwide still cannot read and write, and two-thirds of them are women. I'm proud that Mrs. Bush has been a passionate voice for helping these people.

We've taken a good first step by setting ambitious goals such as ensuring universal primary education by 2015 and equal educational opportunity for girls and boys. Now we must focus on translating these goals into real, measurable results. Expanding education and literacy must be at the heart of what we do. Together, we can achieve the goals of the UN Decade of Literacy and help the world's most challenged nations spread literacy, education, and hope.

Today, we have a window of opportunity to make a real difference. Freedom is taking hold around the world. Over the last year, I've traveled all across my country as well as to the Middle East and Asia. And I've seen that parents all over the world share the same dreams for their children. They want to give them a better life and the opportunity to realize their potential. We must give them that chance. It's our common calling. And together, we will answer it.

Thank you.

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